Whalen, T M; Gopal, S and Abraham, D M (2004) Cost-benefit model for the construction of tornado shelters. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 130(6), pp. 772-779. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Tornadoes have been identified as one of the leading causes of death and injuries among natural disasters in the United States. Shelters play an important role in tornado mitigation efforts, since tornado-related mortality and injury rates are higher when tornado shelters are not available. This paper describes a methodology to address the viability of construction of tornado shelters in areas which have significant tornado hazards. A cost-benefit model that estimates the relative advantages of three tornado shelter construction strategies was developed and tested. The model accounts for factors such as probability of tornado occurrence, historical death and injury rates, economic incentives, and local construction and maintenance costs. The implications of factors such as useful life period, discount rate, and occupancy on the viability of the shelter were also studied. Relevance of this model to decision makers, as well as future needs for the model, is discussed.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | benefit cost ratios; construction cost; decision support systems; tornadoes |
| Index terms: | mitigation, methodology, economic incentive, strategy, injury, decision support, natural disaster, United States, maintenance cost, estimate, mortality, construction cost, relative advantage |
| Subjects: | innovation studies, financial and cost management, economic analysis, health monitoring assessment and metrics, financial management, management, research methods, Geography, financial risk, health conditions and diseases, decision analysis, environmental hazards |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Risk Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here